UX: design and cycle
Last week in the monthly State of the Startup event to be held in New York focused on the latest trends in the startup world, co-founder Dan Maccarone of Charming Robot and Hard Candy Shell gave a talk entitled “Trends in UX design and the influence you.”
With a frank and realistic look, Maccarone has come through a series of trend last startup to indicate the cost of copying the idea.
Maccarone each end his speech with a quote from Charles Caleb Cotton:
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”
Of course, imitation takes place everywhere today, and more is on the Internet, it is more than ever boom conditions.
Cite in the past, Maccarone has launched three major tourism sites in 2004: Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity. Both 3 websites look identical.
And instead focus on developing better services, customer research trends and enhance the user experience, this page only busy contention each each by little with constant promotions launched .
In another example, Maccarone has launched 3 e-commerce page image when placed side by side, it is difficult to distinguish between them. What you learned here is: the Internet is a forest site content expression akin to each other.
There are many designs available, most of which help the designer to save a lot of time compared to having to start designing from scratch. The problem is given by the above example, Maccarone, the designer was too dull on these designs are available, molding design, thus boring for customers to find nearly identical websites.
In addition, these sites do nothing but lists a wide range of products, like “this is what we have, he let himself go and choose your product!”
Compare this new an actual retail store, where goods are arranged in a scientific manner and use certain features, new products, discount products are …
Maccarone want to remind that the online store may be, and need to do a lot more to help customers in making the decision to purchase the product.
With that argument, Maccarone said that the example given is not the worst thing: Many people copy something just because others are doing so, everyone thought “Hmm, I guess sure we’re doing the best model, then why not how many other people are copying her? ”
And so as games chasing each circle, not long before it invaded all Internet
Maccarone said that this vicious cycle, though very popular, but many do not bring the desired effect, because it was not considered “consumed” real information of Internet users.
Easy to see that the user generally will not know what they need. They usually just how to be able to quickly browse content on a website to get what you need.
Maccarone, this is a failure of the Internet, because this means that more and more content, the user experience worse.
Maccarone also pointed out that copying not only in design, it also takes place with all the features and ideas of other companies. Proof of this, he came up with the “check in” of 4 service Foursquare, Gowalla, Yelp and Facebook.
Maccarone believe that the decision to add the “check in” Yelp’s will not bring more effective, by the company’s operating model is not in favor of the social product that focuses on the review community to share, so sometimes the people we “follow” those who do not know, and do not need to find out where they are at post review.
Similarly, Facebook is a social network that the original purpose does not include the sharing of locations, so this feature much as to cause a nuisance to the user, such as “check in” at a bar 2am, and customers have to meet the following morning accidentally learned this.
Of course, this does not happen to everyone, but it is a point worthy of attention.
Copy good features does not mean that there is a good product
Copy features not bring a good product, Maccarone said, if you do not want to say is that it makes things worse, because it features which are not constructed in accordance with your strategy . In addition, everyone is doing the same, does not mean that it is effective.
Prove this point, there are five sites are given, all 5 are very similar, but are not Pinterest. Pinterest has clearly been a step forward in pursuing his original goal, allowing people to share and comment on your favorite photos.
However, this model does not really work well with any other goals or strategies, which explains why should not copy the idea, unless you want to do a “fake website” to lure customers .
Conclusions are given: Many startup did not really think to the wishes of the client, and how to help them satisfy that desire. Focus on this is the only way to help customers feel satisfied and impressed with the products and services of the company.
Entire slide Maccarone
